Bartłomiej Dragowski

Bartlomiej Dragowski     19     Goalkeeper     Fiorentina     Poland

Skinny

Another Serie A teenage goalkeeping sensation? Sadly no, not yet. At the time of writing Dragowski has yet to feature for his new club but fear not, a 5-year contract suggests longer-term planning and he’s yet to show any outward sign of frustration. Goalkeepers have to be exceptional to be trusted so young in a top league generally so we’re not concerned he’s not in that top 2% yet. Patience is a virtue and all that.

2016 has been…

…fine, got his move, now needs to learn and start forcing his way into the first team.

We’re often hard on players who move too young to a club and then don’t play but we would suggest it’s a little different for goalkeepers. It remains the only true specialist position on the football pitch and there is an enormous amount of growth over a keeper’s career. Dragowski started the year in goal for Jagiellonia, a position he had made his own over the last two seasons, and it was absolutely the right thing to do to take a move to a higher standard to grow in our opinion.

He’s physically perfect for the role, hugely imposing already but only going to improve by De Gea-ing himself into some muscle to back it up. He needed to take the next step, he has, now to start knocking on that first team door.

What’s next?

Education. Just needs to study and learn all he can at this stage. Not everyone can be a Donnarumma, we have said before it is perfectly okay to be good instead of great. We would humbly suggest a season out of the first team is fine for development at the moment but if he’s looking at zero minutes again next time it may be the moment to ask questions about his future. We’re not for a minute suggesting leaving, more perhaps look for a loan to put all he’s learned into action.

Dragowski has a little bit of devilment too which while we could never endorse things like *that* dive against Lechia, at this stage we’re not worried about either. Channel that into bollocking absent-minded defenders. He’s a wonderfully composed and mature keeper for his age, these little wobbly moments are to be expected when the veil slips.

So no first team football, but no panic either. Goalkeepers have longer careers that most and this year might well serve him in the long run. Will he be special? Not convinced, but will he be a goalkeeper in a top flight for the majority of his career? Absolutely.

C     Mark could/should be lower but progress this year really meant taking that move, what next?